The Obsessions of Lord Godfrey - Stephanie Laurens Page 0,84

indulged in another interlude of passion and increasingly unrestrained loving. It was, he knew, the latter that left him with a knot of warmth in his chest and the besotted look he had to work to keep from his face.

Every now and then, his mask slipped, and sheer happiness edged his smile.

Harry and Maggie joined the company for luncheon; somewhat to Godfrey’s surprise, the pair were noticeably subdued.

Then again, with the subject of the forgery exhausted, at least for now, Mr. Hinckley had turned the conversational spotlight from the affairs of Hinckley Hall to Morris and Pyne and their situations, subjects that held little interest for Harry and Maggie, or even Ellie, Godfrey, and Masterton. Yet from the way the trio of old friends spoke openly of their concerns, including alluding to their financial states, it was clear that, among the three, sharing such hopes and fears was a lifelong habit.

As all three seemed to lack family members with whom they might have discussed such matters, Godfrey could see that having close and trusted friends to fill the void was no bad thing.

Meanwhile, he, Ellie, Masterton, and the two younger Hinckleys made inroads into the tasty golden pies Cook had provided and largely let the conversation roll over them.

At one point, Masterton asked Ellie about the local Easter fair. He shot a look at Godfrey as she replied, as if to underscore that he was a local, a man who would be there when Godfrey left.

Godfrey merely smiled and paid attention to Ellie’s information.

From the ongoing discussions about the head of the table, where Morris and Pyne sat flanking Matthew Hinckley, Godfrey gathered that, while the Hinckleys might be financially under pressure, circumstances had already pushed the other two to the point of requiring additional funds—Pyne to keep his printing business afloat and Morris to keep Malton Farm running.

Given the current state of the economy, Godfrey wondered if the pair had fallen into the clutches of moneylenders, especially when Pyne quipped that he wished he had an Albertinelli he could sell. Subsequently, however, both Pyne and Morris reported that they’d recently met with a gentleman from the concern that had advanced them the necessary funds and had been pleasantly surprised to discover said gentleman to be a reasonable man. Apparently, the man had met with Morris and Pyne separately and had gone over their accounts, then had reassured them that they would be allowed a reasonable time over which to repay the money.

Although the debts were still hanging over their heads, the pair were clearly relieved, and as Matthew Hinckley bracingly remarked, that was surely good news.

Morris nodded. “So once his lordship gets back your painting, we’ll all be on an even keel again.”

Godfrey’s already-firm determination to recover the painting hardened a touch more.

Eventually, with the platters all but cleared, Kemp entered, went to Ellie’s side, and whispered that Mrs. Kemp would appreciate a word.

Ellie nodded and eased back her chair. “Papa?” When her father looked her way, she waved at the table. “As it seems we’re all finished, perhaps you should return to the library where you’ll be more comfortable?”

Everyone took the hint and rose. While Ellie went off to speak with the housekeeper, Godfrey grasped the handles of Mr. Hinckley’s chair and, with Morris and Pyne pacing on either side and continuing their conversation, pushed his host across the front hall and down the corridor to the library.

After installing Mr. Hinckley in his usual spot and receiving a smile and a nod in thanks, Godfrey retreated to the armchair he’d earlier occupied and relaxed in an elegant sprawl.

After following their little procession into the front hall, Harry and Maggie had excused themselves and gone off to another parlor. Watching the pair go, Pyne had humphed in benevolent fashion. “Can’t blame them not wanting to sit and listen to us old men talk.”

Masterton, who had left the dining room with everyone else, had slipped away somewhere; Godfrey assumed he’d gone off to use the necessary.

Relieved of any immediate need to converse with the man, Godfrey let the voices of the three older men, once again gathered about the fireplace, wash over him while he contemplated his next steps—both with respect to reclaiming the Albertinelli and also in securing Ellie as his wife.

Inevitably, the pathways to both goals would intertwine; he was going to have to put some thought into the order of his actions and Ellie’s, too.

After several minutes of attempted cogitation, he realized there was no need for